100 
THE entomologist’s RECORD. 
brother’s possession. “Fungoid parasites of some form or other are 
now known to attack almost every order of insects, and, with this in 
mind, it would seem a strange and unaccountable fact that, as far as is 
known, diurnal lepidoptera have hitherto been unrecorded, as being the 
basis of fungoid parasites of any sort. There appears to be no doubt 
that the specimen in question is anything other than the fungus Torrubia 
roberfsii, grown out of the larva of Hepialus virescens. The perfect 
insect, which, I believe is indigenous to New Zealand, is of a satiny buff 
colour with green irregular lines distributed over the surface of the 
upper wings. There is another species, H. rubroviridans^ of a larger 
size and with the underwings of a pale rusty colour, the larvae of which 
may become the bases of this parasite. These larvae are usually found 
in certain districts during the spring, beneath the “Rata” (in reality a 
species of myrtle, but commonly called a vine) and tree ferns growing 
in a light, porous and peaty soil, under which the caterpillar burrows 
perpendicularly in search of its food (which consists of the young 
fibrous roots), and afterwards forms horizontal chambers in passing from 
one root to the other. It does not pass any portion of its life on trees, 
as is supposed by some writers, but the insect remains in the earth 
during the larval and pupal stages. Probably the parasite becomes 
connected with the caterpillar by means of the seed being taken with 
the food and thus passing into the interior of the insect, which had 
previously become sickly and weakened by the rains which fall in great 
quantities, saturating the ground around it. It is only after such 
atmospheric influences that the germination of the plant predominates 
over the growth of the insect, which is found of various ages in various 
stages of growth. Its interior becomes completely filled by the inner 
plant or thallus, after which, the outer plant or fungus, passing to 
maturity, forces a way out through the tissue of the joint between the 
head and the first segment of the thorax. The fungus grows to various 
lengths, in some examples to ten or more inches. This depends on the 
depth to which the caterpillar may be buried at the commencement of 
the outer growth of the fungus. It is stated that it “ settles itself head 
upwards to undergo its change when the vegetable develops itself,” but 
the caterpillars are subject to the full development of the parasite at 
various periods of their growth, certainly some, from their size, are 
attacked long before they are sufficiently matured to place themselves in 
that position. The base of the plant invariably rises perpendicularly 
from its origin, before it is bent, as if the larva had become stationary in 
a horizontal position (or nearly so) in consequence of its being affected 
by the internal thallus, and the plant had then naturally made its way 
directly upwards to the surface of the soil, which it would eventually, 
surmount by two or three inches, which portion becomes granulated 
when matured. It has been affirmed that the fungus, after appearing 
above the earth, has been gradually drawn through the loose soil with 
the caterpillar attached, when the latter has been found in a living state. 
The stem is not strong, but if broken a new stem arises from or near the 
same place, a fact which the Medical Times ^ forty-six years ago, said 
“is not known to occur in any other plant with which we are as yet 
acquainted in the vegetable kingdom.” In the same year the same paper 
says : — “The parasite is never known to germinate except in connection 
with the body of one of these caterpillars ” {H. virescens ?). If such be 
